Tool

Concept

Title: The Field

Artist: Blood Orange (Dev Hynes)

Concept Statement:

I chose “The Field” by Blood Orange because it holds deep personal meaning for me. I recently went through the end of a long and loving relationship, not out of anger or loss of affection, but because our lives were moving in different directions. As my graduation approaches, we found ourselves at a point where timing and circumstance forced us apart, even though we still cared for each other deeply.

This song was the last one we shared before saying goodbye, and it has stayed in my mind ever since. It captures the bittersweet feeling of love that remains even after separation, the quiet sadness of knowing something beautiful has ended. For this project, I want to preserve that emotion like a diary entry, translating it into a visual and musical space in VR. It’s my way of remembering, honoring, and transforming this precious moment in my life into something creative and lasting.

This project is about letting go. At first, it feels like that person will stay with you forever, but life slowly pulls you apart even when your heart isn’t ready. The glowing figure represents someone I loved for three years. The song playing, “the field” by Orange Blood, was the last song we shared. The three scenes you see are our memories — starting with warmth and affection, and gradually shifting into cold, distant body language. In the end, when the figure finally disappears, I wanted to show the feeling of being left behind floating, unanchored, unsure of where to put your heart. No matter how tightly you hold on, sometimes the most loving thing is to let go.

Lessons learned from playtesting and peer feedback

During playtesting, peers immediately recognized the intention behind the pacing and movement. Many tried to follow the glowing figure but couldn’t keep up—mirroring the emotional feeling I wanted to express. Their reaction confirmed that the emotional arc and timing were communicated effectively.

Concept evolution

The project originally aimed for multiple scene transitions, but feedback encouraged me to simplify. I focused on three key poses: sitting together in autumn when we met, holding each other, and finally parting. This structure created a clearer emotional progression while keeping the experience focused and reflective.

Challenges and how I overcame them

The biggest technical challenge was bringing the glowing figure to life and making it walk naturally. Since there weren’t many tutorials or direct examples, I had to experiment with different techniques, combining what I learned from various sources. Through trial and error, I finally managed to animate the figure the way I envisioned. It was one of the most rewarding parts of the process.

Next Steps

If I could continue developing this project, I would focus on enhancing the visual and emotional details. For example, since the story begins in autumn, I wanted more fallen leaves on the ground that make users want to touch or pick them up, something that wasn’t fully realized due to time and scale limitations. I’d also like to replace robotic elements with more human-like ones once I have the resources, to make the emotional connection even more natural. Overall, this project taught me how deeply technical choices can shape emotional storytelling in VR, and I’m proud that I managed to express my feelings and narrative visually, just as I imagined.

Project Documentation